


Class "ft F) % 2t k 

Book_ j _ 


Copyright NIL_ 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 














■ / 















n 




f * 






































« 












f 








* 
























\ 







• - 










. 


























% 












f 









THE W. T. STEAD MEMORIAL CENTER 




• • 









« 















Mrs. Pennau-Cook, The Medium 
AND 

Portrait of W. T. Stead, The Founder 













MESSAGE 

FROM 

WILLIAM T. STEAD 

Sketch and Events of His Life 1849—1912 


SHORT HISTORY of the 
MEDIUM MRS. PENNAU-COOK 

PRINCIPLES OP THE CENTER—A VISION 


INCLUDING 

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS 

OF 

The W. T. Stead Memorial Center 

•i 

Incorporated 1913 


THE W. T. STEAD MEMORIAL CENTER 

533 Grant Place 
CHICAGO 




0$ 

'V 

I 

COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY 
The Wm. T. Stead Memorial Center 

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 




• 4 

» • » 


JAN -2 1913 


Press of Rand McNally & Co.. Chicago 


© 01.4479821 




I 



OFFICERS 


President . 
Vice President 

Second Vice- 
President . 

Secretary . 
Treasurer . 
Medium 


Mr. Lloyd Kenyon Jones 
Mr. C. Wright Davison 

Dr. H. Nelson Orr 
Miss Antonia Horace 
Mr. C. M. Cook 
Mrs. Pennau-Cook 





BOARD OF DIRECTORS 


FOR 

1917-1918 

Trustee . . Mrs. Pennau-Cook, Medium 

President. . Mr. Lloyd Kenyon Jones 
Vice President Mr. C. Wright Davison 
Second Vice- 

President Dr. H. Nelson Orr 
Member . . Mr. Geo. F. Jennings 

Member . . Mr. Thos. Giffney 

Member . . Mr. Fred B. Thompson * 





MR. STEAD’S MESSAGE 


JN giving out a message to the world, and 

particularly to those associated with us in 
this great work at the Center, I want to make 
clearer than perhaps has ever been done be¬ 
fore, the nothingness of death. That great 
fact— There Is No Death— is not believed 
today. How could it when all creeds and 
religions have laid such stress upon death, 
and created a great gulf between mortal man 
and spiritual man? 

Life is never extinct for one instant, nor is 
man deprived of a body or of an individuality 
for one second. He is himself complete, as much 
so as he ever was, as he passes over or steps 
over, one might say, from the earth plane to 
the spiritual plane. And often a mortal does 
not even lose consciousness in the passing; he 
sees no difference in himself; it is as though he 
passed from one room to another more beau¬ 
tiful on the earth. The sensation is one only 
of surprise to find himself alive, and of great 


13 



joy that he actually has not died, and the pro¬ 
cess of what is called death is soon forgotten. 

The only sorrow is in not being able to have 
those he has left, understand and know how 
near he is to them, for he sees them, hears them 
as he always has done, but cannot make them 
either see or hear him. If those on the earth 
plane, grieving, could but see, could but know 
that as they mourn, their loved one is in their 
midst, alive and happy, except in the grief he 
sees manifested for him. If mortals could but 
realize that death is a birth, a time of rejoicing 
and not a time of sorrow, how different the 
world would be! And to those on this earth 
plane who in their ignorance and false beliefs 
have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, let 
me address you from above. 

Live close to your loved ones who have passed 
over, turn to them for guidance and with love; 
they now have a larger vision and a greater 
knowledge of God’s law and can through you, 
if you but listen, use God’s law in your behalf. 
Speak to them just as naturally as if they were 
before you in the flesh. Pour out to them 
your wants, your fears, your hopes. Turn to 
God, the Father of all, and ask Him to send to 
14 


you wisdom and understanding through your 
loved ones and Guides in the Spirit World with 
sincerity of purpose, in fullness of love, and— 
“All things shall be added unto thee” and the 
“Kingdom of Heaven will be at hand.” 

And let me impress upon you, the members 
of this Center, what life really is. Life is a 
circle. As one throws out, either through word 
or deed, evil or good, so sure will that evil or 
good come back again to its owner and an 
hundredfold increase added. 

When a wicked man passes over into spirit¬ 
ual life, he is given the retrospection of his evil 
deeds and in his spiritual state he comprehends 
what he has done in all its hideousness, and his 
conscience bums within him. “As ye sow, so 
shall ye reap.” “Prepare ye therefore for the 
Kingdom of Heaven,” for each member must 
work out his or her own salvation; no one else 
can do this for you. 

I ask you, for your spiritual development, 
and for the good of this great work you have 
undertaken, to cling close to your Guides in all 
things. Come to them for counsel and ad¬ 
vice. If you do this, I tell you, you can make 
few mistakes, and harmony and love will be 


15 


manifested in your lives and in this Center. 

And lastly, I ask of you a favor. God has 
placed in your midst one of His beautiful hand¬ 
maidens. Reverence her and protect her at all 
times and in all ways. Save her as much as is 
in your power from the baneful influences and 
friction of mortal existence, knowing that as 
you serve her you serve God your Maker. Sur¬ 
round her with all your love and kindness. This 
is my earnest desire and prayer. 

W. T. Stead. 


16 


WILLIAM T. STEAD 


'J'HE founder of the W. T. Stead Memorial 
Center was bom in Embleton Manse 
Northumberland, England, July 5, 1849, and 
passed over into the Spirit World on April 15, 
1912, upon the sinking of the Titanic in mid¬ 
ocean. 

Through his great interest in psychic phe¬ 
nomena, Mr. Stead became convinced of the 
truth of Spirit communication. He was fore¬ 
most in promoting psychic experiments, and 
was a leading member of the London Society 
for Psychical Research. 

To quote Mr. Stead, from an address made 
shortly after his son’s death,—“ I had always 
said I would never make my final pronounce¬ 
ment upon Spiritualism until some one near 
and dear in my own family passed into the 
Great Beyond. Then I should know whether 
Spiritualism stood the test of a great bereave¬ 
ment, bringing life and immortality to light. 
And I am here tonight to tell you that the 


17 



reality of my son’s continued existence and of 
his tender care for me have annulled the bitter¬ 
ness of death.” 

This was considered the sign-post for the 
founding of “Julia’s Bureau, ” and one wonders 
whether if but for his son’s death would the 
famous Bureau ever have been established. 
To satisfy the reader unfamiliar with “Julia” 
we will explain that Julia Ames was an Amer¬ 
ican woman, a Journalist by profession, being 
Co-editor of a Chicago paper called “The Wo¬ 
men’s Union Signal” and was a close friend of 
Frances Willard. Despite her life of practical 
contact with a work-a-day world, Julia Ames 
had an intense sympathy with the occult, and 
it was strange that on the only two occasions 
that she met Mr. Stead in the earth life they 
talked of nearly every subject except Spirit¬ 
ualism. These meetings were in 1890 when 
Miss Ames was in England on her way to the 
Passion Play at Oberammergau. 

The year following, Julia Ames passed over 
to the Spirit World. Mr. Stead heard of her 
death with deep regret and wrote of her “as a 
singularly beautiful character of devoted Christ¬ 
ian enthusiasm,” and it was prophetic that it 
18 


was through Julia Ames that Mr. Stead re¬ 
ceived his automatic communications from the 
Spirit World which were a feature of his publi¬ 
cation, “Borderland,” a quarterly review devot¬ 
ed to the investigation of psychic phenomena 
and which ten years later took on a larger scope 
in the establishing of “Julia’s Bureau,” a Bu¬ 
reau devoted to Spirit communication. 

It is then natural that Mr. Stead should 
now desire to establish from the Spirit World a 
Center or place for Spirit communication, and 
together with others in the Spirit World, 
through the mediumship of a good psychic, 
reach those on this earth plane who are ready 
and worthy of such a privilege. 

Mr. Stead is most grateful to our Medium for 
her ever ready and conscientious service and 
her untiring and faithful work. He feels as 
tenderly toward her as toward a daughter, and 
is convinced that through her, with the co¬ 
operation of the members, a work may be ac¬ 
complished at the Center that will influence 
and affect the entire world. 

The following are some of the events in the 
life of Mr. Stead: 


19 


1 849-July 5-Born of the Rev. William Stead 
and Isabella Stead at Embleton Manse, 
Northumberland, England. The family 
removed to Howdon-on-Tyne, where his 
father was for thirty-four years pastor of 
the Congregational Church. 

1861-Went to Silcoates School for the sons of 
Congregational ministers and others, 
for two years. 

1863-Went as office-boy into the office of Mr. 
T. Y. Strachan, accountant, Newcastle- 
on-Tyne. 

Engaged as clerk by a firm which was 
also the Russian Vice-Consulate for 
Newcastle-on-Tyne. 

Wrote several essays for prize competi¬ 
tion in the Boys' Own Magazine. The 
first was on “Coal"; the second on 
“The Villains of Shakespeare”; the third 
(which gained a prize) was on “Oliver 
Cromwell.” 

, His reading and writing were arrested 
for a time by weakness in the eyes. He 
made only slow progress, by having 
others read to him. He took this as a 
sign that he must devote himself more 
to the affairs of the village, and espec¬ 
ially to the lads in his Sunday-school 
class. This he did. He also busied 
himself for the improvement of roads 
and better sanitation in the village. 
His eyesight gradually recovered. 

The office where he was clerk being 
visited by numbers of beggars, he began 
writing letters in the Northern Daily 
Express , advocating the formation of 


20 


a Mendicity Society for inquiry into 
alleged cases of distress, and so prevent¬ 
ing fraud. As some one afterwards 
said, “ He mounted to fame on a beggar’s 
back.” 

Then he began to write tor the Northern 
Echo , a halfpenny daily just established 
in Darlington. 

1871-Became Editor of the Northern Echo , 
on the invitation of John Hyslop Bell 
(for the proprietors). 

l8 73 - J une 14-Married Emma Lucy, daughter 
of Henry Wilson, of Howdon-on-Tyne, 
and took up his abode at Oaklands, or 
Grainey Hill, in the outskirts of Dar¬ 
lington. 

1876- Was moved by letter of MacGahan in 
the London Daily News, describing the 
atrocities practiced by the Turks upon 
the Bulgarians at Batak, to take a lead¬ 
ing part in the agitation which followed. 

1877- First met Madame Novikoff, Mr. Glad¬ 
stone, Thomas Carlyle. 

1880-Published Elector’s Catechism. 

Became Assistant Editor to John Mor- 
ley at the Pall Mall Gazette. 

1882- Published “Fifty Years of the House of 
Lords.” 

1883- Published “England, Gordon, and the 
Soudan.” 

Became sole Editor of the Pall Mall 
Gazette. 

1884- Interviewed General Gordon, which led 
to Gordon’s being sent to Khartoum. 
Organized Commission on Inquiry into 


21 


Conditions of the Poor along the lines 
followed two years after by Mr. Charles 
Booth. 

Published “Who is to Have the Sou¬ 
dan?” 

Secured by circular a majority of Liberal 
M. P.'s to declare for the retention of 
Irish Members at Westminster; “gov¬ 
ernment by circular.” 

Published “The Truth About the Navy.” 

1885- Opposed by articles and pamphlets 
the idea of war with Russia over the 
Penjdeh incident. 

Published “Too Late, Fight or Arbi¬ 
trate” and “The Navy of Old England.” 
Published “The Maiden Tribute of 
Modern Babylon.” 

Spoke at many meetings on the subject 
of his approaching trip 
September-Tried at Bow Street along 
with Bramwell Booth, Sampson Jacques, 
Mrs. Coombes, and Mrs. Jarrett. 
November 4-Was sentenced to three 
months’ imprisonment, and edited the 
Pall Mall Gazette in prison. 

1886- Published “No Reduction, No Rent!” 
(Plan of Campaign), “Deliverance or 
Doom,” “John Morley: the Irish Rec¬ 
ord of the New Chief Secretary,” and 
“Lord Randolph Churchill; Radical or 
Renegade?” 

1887- Took up the Langworthy case. 
Published “Remember Trafalgar 
Square!” and “Not for Joe!” 

1888- Visited Russia; was received by Czar 
Alexander III. Published “The Truth 


22 


About Russia.” Attended Parnell Com¬ 
mission. 

1889- Visited Rome, and (next year) published 
“The Pope and the New Era” and 
“Pigottism and the Times." 

1890- Left the Pall Mall Gazette and founded 
the Review of Reviews , published “Por¬ 
traits and Autographs.” 

Witnessed the Passion Play at Oberam- 
mergau and published “The Story that 
Transformed the World ” and “The 
Passion Play as Played To-day.” 
Published “ Discrowned King of Ireland.” 

1891- Issued Help (Feb. 1891-Dec. 1892). 
Founded American Review of Reviews. 
Published “Character Sketches” and 
“Real Ghost Stories.” 

1892- Founded Australasian Review of Reviews. 
Published “ More Ghost Stories.” 
Published “The Electors’ Guide” (L. 
C. C. Election) and “On The Eve” 
(Handbook to the General Election). 
Began automatic writing. 

1893- Founded Borderland , which ceased in 
1897. 

Visited America and the Chicago 
World’s Fair. 

Wrote “ Two and Two Make Four,” and 
included in it an attempt to float the 
Daily Paper , Limited , with a capital from 
subscriptions paid a year in advance. 

1894- Published “If Christ Came to Chicago.” 
Published “The Labour War in the 
United States” and “Fifty Years of the 
House of Lords,” 2nd edition. 


23 


Got up national memorial lor arresting 
the growth of European armaments by- 
international agreement. 

Published “The Splendid Paupers." 
I 895~Started “Books for the Bairns" and 
“Masterpiece Libraries of Penny Poets, 
Novels, and Prose Classics." 

Published “Blastus, the King’s Cham¬ 
berlain." 

1896- Held meetings in favor of arbitration 
on the Venezuelan question. 

Published “Always Arbitrate Before 
You Fight." 

Published “The History of the Mystery; 
or, the Skeleton in Blastus’s Cupboard." 
Published “ Hymns That Have Helped." 
Founded the Scholars’ International 
Correspondence. 

1897- Published character-sketch, “Her 
Majesty the Queen and Notables of 
Britain." 

Visited America. 

Published “Satan’s Invisible World: A 
Study of Despairing Democracy," and 
“Letters from Julia." 

1898- August 24-Czar’s Rescript. 

Visited Russia; twice received by Nich¬ 
olas II. 

Published character-sketch, “Glad¬ 
stone." 

Made a tour of Europe, visiting most 
of the capitals in favor of the Czar’s 
scheme for Peace. 

1898-9-Conducted series o. meetings in sup¬ 
port of The Hague Conference. 


24 


1899- Published and edited a weekly paper, 
entitled War Against War. 

Published “The United States of Eur¬ 
ope.” Went to Russia to present signa¬ 
tures of the Memorial to the Czar. 
From St. Petersburg went to The Hague; 
remained during the whole of the Con¬ 
ference. 

Outbreak the # South African War, 
which he strongly opposed. 

Published weekly for nine months the 
organ, War Against War in South Af¬ 
rica. (Oct. 1899-Aug. 1900). 

Published “Shall I Slay My Brother 
Boer?” “Are We in the Right?” “The 
Scandal of the South African Com¬ 
mittee,” and “Shall We Let Hell Loose 
in South Africa?” 

1900- Visited Oberammergau to witness the 
Passion Play, and wrote “The Cruci¬ 
fixion.” 

In Paris during the Exhibition working 
for the cause of Internationalism. 
Published Mr. Carnegie’s “Conundrum” 
and “Mrs. Booth: A Study.” 

Published “The Candidates of Cain” 
and “How Not to Make Peace.” 
Published “Pen Pictures of the War by 
Men at the Front.” 

Published “Lest We Forget.” 

1901- Published “Stories of the Queen” and 
“Methods of Barbarism.” 

1902- Published “The Conference of the 
Hague,” “The Americanization of the 
World,” “The Last Will and Testa¬ 
ment of Cecil John Rhodes” and “The 
Despised Sex.” 


25 


Advocated the study of Esperanto in 
the Review of Reviews. 

1903- Published “How Britain Goes to War.” 

1904- Founded the short-lived Daily Paper. 
Went to South Africa and began an ac¬ 
tive propaganda among the Boers in 
favor of peace and reconciliation. 
September-Went to his first play. 
Published “Here Am I, Send Me” and 
“Are there Any Free Churches?” 

1904- 5-Published pamphlets on the Revival 
in Wales. 

1905- Visited Russia; saw the Emperor and 
addressed meetings throughout the 
country pleading for the acceptance of 
the Duma. 

1905- Published “ Which?-Christ or Cain.” 

1906- Organized visit of German editors to 
this country. 

Published “Tales and Talks of Tolstoi.” 
Published “The Best or the Worst of 
Empires, Which?” “The Electors’ 
Guide” and “The Liberal Ministry of 
1906.” 

1907- Published “Peers or People.” 

Visited the various European capitals, 
setting forth the idea of the Peace Bud¬ 
get and the Peace Pilgrimage. 

Visited America to attend Peace Con¬ 
gress in New York; on returning from 
America paid return visit of English 
editors to Germany. 

From Germany went to The Hague and 
produced every day at his own expense 
a paper entitled Courrier de la Conference. 


26 


1909- Published “The M. P. for Russia" (two 
vols.). 

“Julia’s Bureau" Founded. 

1910- Went to Oberammergau. 

Gave evidence at the Divorce Commis¬ 
sion. 

1911- Visited Constantinople on a mission of 
Peace. 

Published “Tripoli and the Treaties.” 

1912- Easter Week.—Sailed from Southamp¬ 
ton for New York on the Titanic to ad¬ 
dress the Men and Religions Congress 
on “Universal Peace.” 

The Titanic struck an iceberg late on the 
night of 14th April, and sank in mid¬ 
ocean in the early hours of Monday, 
April 15. Upwards of 1,600 persons 
sank with her, among them being W. T. 
Stead. 








MRS. ELLEN A. PENNAU-COOK 


QUR beloved Medium, Mrs. Pennau-Cook, 
is what one might call a natural and not a 
developed medium, for this great gift was with 
her even from babyhood. As a little child 
Spirit voices spoke to her and Spirit forms 
visited her. She saw and heard the Spirit 
World as she did the physical and material 
world; there was but the one. 

At fourteen, obliged to earn her own liveli¬ 
hood, so industrious and painstaking was she 
in her employment, she was soon advanced to 
a position of great responsibility and trust. 
During these years the strange psychic exper¬ 
iences that constantly came to her were kept 
secretly to herself, for fear of ridicule and jest, 
but at seventeen the forces had become so 
strong she was no longer able to conceal the 
Spirit manifestations, and at the solicitude of 
a friend, visited a trance medium for enlight¬ 
enment. 

The medium at once recognized in Mrs. 


29 



Cook a powerful psychic gift and told her what 
it meant. At a subsequent seance Mrs. Cook 
went into a trance and gave a beautiful and 
profound reading to those present. Some days 
later she was taken to a voice medium, and so 
impressed was the medium with the strength 
of Mrs. Cook’s mediumship, she at once offered 
her a trumpet and explained to her her power. 

Upon reaching home, Mrs. Cook found that 
in the use of the trumpet she possessed a rare 
and beautiful gift, for the voices of the Spirit 
Guides surrounded her with messages of love 
and encouragement. From that time she 
recognized Spirit communication and what it 
was to mean to her in this earth life, but she 
could not bring herself to become a public 
medium or to take up the work professionally 
until her Guides in the Spirit World abso¬ 
lutely commanded her to do so and explained 
to her the God-given gift which she must use 
for the service of humanity. 

Young and unsophisticated in the world’s 
ways, Mrs. Cook passed through many trials 
and tribulations, and many indignities were 
heaped upon her by the malicious, the ignorant 
and the skeptical. 


30 


After ten years of struggle with an uncon¬ 
vincing world and with only an occasional 
word of appreciation from the public, Mr. 
Stead came to her,—not as he had expected 
when he started on his ocean voyage on the 
Titanic in the hope of meeting Mrs. Cook and 
seeing her work, but from the Spirit World 
three days after going down on that fated ship. 

Since then, under Mr. Stead’s loving care 
and counsel, our Medium has gradually es¬ 
tablished a work which is in advance of any 
psychic phenomena known. She stands today, 
as the Spirit World has expressed it, “Not only 
the strongest and most reliable Medium, but 
the most earnest and faithful the world pos¬ 
sesses.” May God grant that she be spared 
many years to come, that she may bring this 
work, so beautifully started, to a triumphant 
spiritual victory on earth, that it may reach 
the heart of whole humanity and raise it from 
the ashes of bigotry, false doctrine and hate 
to the only real and true vision of God and His 
Creation. 


3i 

























W. T. STEAD MEMORIAL CENTER 


Our Principles as Members 

WE DESIRE,-To educate ourselves in all that 
constitutes the spiritual life. 

To learn every possible way to 
develop self-control and clean 
habits of thought, word and 
deed. 

To enlarge our sympathies so 
that, desiring to understand 
our fellows, we may be patient 
and considerate and minister to 
their various needs in true 
brotherly love. 

To co-operate, as individuals, 
in all ways open to us, with 
movements of our day contri¬ 
buting to social welfare and 
uplift. 

To acquaint ourselves with the 
laws of Being which we under¬ 
stand to be the will of God, and 
by obedience to those laws to 
live the life of true moralty. 

To persuade others to this 
Truth of Spiritism for which 
we stand, by proving that our 


33 




OUR 

PRINCIPLES 

AS 

MEMBERS 


lives are made brave and cheer¬ 
ful and loving by our hold upon 
it, for there is no better way to 
render this great truth real to 
others than by proving to them 
its great reality to ourselves. 
To protect and uphold our 
Cause in every way possible by 
enlightenment of ourselves and 
others, and so help to remove 
ignorance and prejudice, which 
is one of the chief reasons of 
our organization. 

To prove ourselves worthy of 
the Creator’s great gift of 
Spirit Communion by culti¬ 
vating an ever deepening sense 
of the sacredness of all Life, so 
that all veils of separation be¬ 
tween us and our fellows may 
be removed. For we recog¬ 
nize that it is all one Life, that 
all life is spiritual and every 
opportunity a sacrament when 
our eyes are opened to the 
Truth that makes us free. 


34 


Constitution and By-Laws 
of THE 

W. T. STEAD MEMORIAL CENTER 


Adopted July 7, 1917. 
Amended October 1, 1917. 


ARTICLE I 
Name 

Section 1. The name of this Organization shall be the 
W. T. Stead Memorial Center. 

Section 2. This Organization shall have a Seal which 
shall express its name. 

ARTICLE II 
Design 

This Organization is established by W. T. 
Stead through our Medium, Mrs. Pennau- 
Cook. 

First For Spirit Communication. 

Second For the extension of Spiritism. 

Third To aid those seeking Spiritual Truth and 
Development in Public and Private Sean¬ 
ces where the bereaved may find consola¬ 
tion, the weak strength, and the unfortun¬ 
ate hope through loving messages and 
guidance given from the Spirit World. 

Fourth To embrace Spiritual Healing, whereby the 
physicians of the Spirit World through 
treatment and with advice and guidance 
heal those physically afflicted. 


35 




Section i. 

Section 2. 
Section 3. 


Section 4. 

Section 5. 

Section 6. 

Section 7. 


ARTICLE III 
Government 

The government and management of the 
Organization shall be vested in a Board 
of Directors, consisting of six of its 
regular members, and our Medium, Mrs. 
Pennau-Cook, as Trustee, to be known as 
the Board of Directors. 

All acts of the said Board of Directors 
shall be approved by Mr. Stead. 

The Board of Directors shall hold office for 
one year, the election being held at the 
Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors 
shall have the power to fill all vacancies in 
the Board, and among Officers, for any 
cause, for the balance of the unexpired 
term. No member shall be elected a Di¬ 
rector who is not a student in the Oriental 
Class already selected by Mr. Stead. 

A majority of all the votes cast shall be 
necessary to the election of a member of 
the Board of Directors. 

Our beloved Medium, as Trustee for the 
Center, shall always be a member ex-officio 
of the Board of Directors. 

Following the election of Directors at the 
annual meeting in each year there will be 
a meeting in the Seance Room, when from 
the members Mr. Stead will appoint the 
President. 

Any member of the Board of Directors 
who shall absent himself from three con¬ 
secutive regular meetings, unless he shall 
have previously obtained permission so to 


36 


do from the Board, or shall present at the 
next regular meeting an excuse for his ab¬ 
sence, satisfactory to the Board, shall upon 
resolution by the Board to that effect cease 
to be a Director. 


ARTICLE IV 

Powers and Duties of the Board of Directors 


Section i. 


Section 2 . 
Section 3. 
Section 4. 


Section 5. 


Section 6. 


The Board of Directors is authorized to 
elect annually at the first regular meeting 
following the annual election, from its own 
body, two Vice Presidents, also a Secre¬ 
tary and Treasurer (who may be one and 
the same person, and who may or may not 
be a member of the Board). All these officers 
shall hold office until the next annual meet¬ 
ing and until their successors are elected. 
To admit members by invitation or consent 
of the Medium, Mrs. Pennau-Cook. 

To prescribe rules for the admission of 
strangers. 

To make rules not inconsistent with this 
Constitution for their own government, and 
for the privileges of the Center and for the 
conduct of members and visitors at the 
Center. 

To terminate the membership of any mem¬ 
ber by a majority vote of the Directors 
present at the meeting, for any conduct of 
such member, improper or prejudicial to 
the Center, though not necessarily in vio¬ 
lation of its Constitution or By-laws, after 
the proceedings as prescribed in Article X. 
To call special meetings of the members of 
the Center to consider specific subjects. 


37 


Section 7. 


Section 8. 


Section g. 


Section 1. 


Section 2 . 


Sections. 


Section 1. 


To report to the members of the Center at 
the annual meeting the receipts and dis¬ 
bursements of the annual dues. 

To authorize all contracts, purchases and 
payments which they may deem necessary 
and proper as qualified by the following 
section. 

To incur no indebtedness without first ob¬ 
taining the approval and consent of our 
Medium, Mrs. Pennau-Cook. 

ARTICLE V 
Duty of Officers 

The President, and in his absence the Vice 
President, shall preside at all meetings of 
the Center and of the Board of Directors. 
In the event of their absence, a meeting of 
the Center, or of the Board of Directors, 
may elect its presiding officer. The Presi¬ 
dent shall have the power to appoint com¬ 
mittees for any purpose. 

The Secretary shall keep the records of the 
Center; and shall report at any regular 
meeting all correspondence had since the 
last preceding meeting. 

The Treasurer shall keep the accounts of 
the Center and report them quarterly to the 
Board of Directors. 

ARTICLE VI 
Membership 

The qualification for membership to the 
Center shall be a prayerful and sincere de¬ 
sire for Spirit communication and for the 
blessings and privileges bestowed upon 

38 


Section i. 


Section i. 
Section 2. 

Section 3. 

Section 1. 


them through guidance from the Spirit 
World by becoming a member of this 
Center. 


ARTICLE VII 
Visitors 

Visitors are at all times welcome not only 
to the public service of Sunday evening, 
but to the Friday evening healing class and 
at private sittings, if consent be first ob¬ 
tained of our Medium, Mrs. Pennau-Cook. 

ARTICLE VIII 
Resignation 

Resignation must be in writing and de¬ 
livered to the Secretary. 

The resignation of a member against whom 
charges are pending shall not be effectual 
unless accepted by the Board of Directors. 
A member resigning or otherwise ceasing to 
be a member forfeits all interests in the 
privileges and blessings of the Center. 

ARTICLE IX 
Discipline 

A member may be suspended for conduct 
injurious to the welfare of the Center by a 
majority vote of the Directors present at a 
regular or special meeting of the Board, or 
he may be expelled by a like majority vote 
at a regular meeting of the Board at which 
a quorum shall be present. Upon written 
complaint of one or more members, the 
Directors shall investigate the circumstance 
connected with such alleged misconduct and 

39 


Section 2. 


Section 1. 


Section 2 


Section 1. 


shall notify such member in writing of the 
charges against him, at least one week 
prior to said meeting, and an opportunity to 
be heard shall be given him at said meeting. 
The Board of Directors have a right at 
any time, with the approval of our Medium, 
Mrs. Pennau-Cook, to debar any member 
or visitor from the privileges of the Center. 

ARTICLE X 
Notices 

A member may inscribe in a book to be 
kept in the library of the Center a mail ad¬ 
dress for notices prescribed or directed by 
the Constitution or By-laws. 

The fee for the use of the library books 
shall be five dollars per annum. 

ARTICLE XI 
Dues and Contributions 
The annual due for each member of the 
Center shall be one dollar a year and it is 
requested that this annual due be paid as 
follows: Five dollars for five consecutive 
years in advance. Those who are finan¬ 
cially able and who deem it a privilege 
may add to this a larger annual specified 
sum, this amount to be used for incidental 
expenses such as stationery, postage, print¬ 
ing, taxes, insurances and repairs of the 
premises. A full report of such amounts 
with itemized expenditures shall be ren¬ 
dered by the Secretary and Treasurer at 
the annual meeting of the members of the 
Center. 


40 


Section 2. 


Section 1. 


Section 1. 


Section 2. 


All contributions or gifts given to our 
Medium, Mrs. Pennau-Cook, Trustee, or 
to the Organization through the Board of 
Directors, shall be considered as such and 
at no time need to be refunded even if up¬ 
on demand. And in accepting such gifts 
or contributions from anyone, either a 
member or otherwise, these conditions 
must be thoroughly understood before 
accepted. 

ARTICLE XII 
Amendments and alterations 
Amendments to the By-laws may be made 
at any meeting of the Board of Directors, 
monthly or special, by a majority of votes 
of the Directors present at such meeting. 
Notice in writing of proposed amendments 
to the By-laws shall be furnished to the 
Secretary at least ten days before the meet¬ 
ing, at which it is proposed to consider 
them; and the Secretary shall cause the 
same to be mailed to the Directors at least 
five days before the meeting. Any pro¬ 
posal for an amendment to these By-laws 
may be amended at such meeting. 

ARTICLE XIII 
Meeting of the Center 
There shall be an annual meeting of the 
Center the first Saturday of September in 
each year at eight o’clock p. m. 

Upon written request of ten members, the 
Board of Directors shall call a special meet¬ 
ing to consider specific subjects to be men¬ 
tioned in the call. 


4i 


Section j. All official meetings of the Center shall be 
held in the Center. No voting by proxy 
shall be allowed. 


ARTICLE XIV 

Meetings of the Board of Directors 


Section i. 
Section 2. 


Section j. 


Section 4. 


The Board of Directors shall meet at the 
call of the President. 

A majority of its members shall constitute 
a quorum of the Board of Directors. 

SPECIAL MEETINGS 
Special meetings may be called by order of 
the President or a majority of the Board of 
Directors. 

Notice of special meetings of the Board of 
Directors shall be given by the Secretary 
before such meetings. 


42 


A VISION 


ODA Y, looking from above, I see before me a vision of 



great beauty; 

Earth, God's own creation, is green in foliage of deepest 
hue. 

Across the vast expanse of land, yellow crops wave in lux¬ 
uriant wealth; 

Flowers and ferns are heaped in extravagant splendor. 

Crystal waters lie glistening in the clear and brilliant 
atmosphere; 

Cattle graze on the fertile hills , and sheep nestle by the 
wayside. 

Birds of gorgeous plumage spread their wings aloof, 

And in every breath of wind the songs of many birds break 
forth. 

Calm — Peaceful—with villages of white, 

The lazy smoke from the tiled roof of the home floats up¬ 
ward. 

Happy children in joyous laughter romp beneath the 
spreading branches, 

And man at last has found his own, and is embraced in 
the arms of his Creator. 


W. T. Stead. 


43 





MEMORANDA 



45 



































































MEMORANDA 









































































































































* 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Nov. 2004 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 
111 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724) 779-2111 






















